It's been one wet summer so far. We have battled low tides, rain and wind most of the week and there is more on the way! The fishing has been very good around the area if you can find clean water. The lower than normal tides haven't helped finding good fishing areas. Between the runoff from all the rain and the Okeechobee water dumping into the rivers, it has been a struggle to find clean water to fish. The water north of Fort Pierce is black from the Taylor Creek water. In the twenty plus years that I have lived in this area, I don't recall ever seeing the river so dirty as it is now. I have been fishing south of Fort Pierce in order to find cleaner water. Fortunately, the dirty water hasn't been pushed south of Fort Pierce. Check out the Indian Riverkeeper and the Rivers Coalition on Facebook or read the articles on TCPalm.com to see what is happening to the water quality in our area. It's something everyone should be aware of and involved in!
We have caught a good variety of fish this week in spite of challenging conditions. There are still lots of big sea trout on the flats. Chris and Charlie caught three 29" trout on their fishing adventure this week. Timberly boated two nice trout on a windy day. Fish in two to five feet of water on the grass flats. Try DOA shrimp, DOA Airheads, live bait or top water on the flats. We have found slot redfish hanging under the mangroves this week. Adam found a nice slot fish while enjoying a day with Phil and Nick. Joe caught two nice slot fish from the mangroves on their trip while fishing with Eric. CAL grub tails, DOA shrimp or live bait can help you find a nice redfish this time of year. Rick and Jennifer caught a variety of fish including trout, bluefish, snapper, jacks and a 22" grouper. There are still lots of snapper around the docks, bridges and channel edges of the river. Shrimp will help you find a good snapper bite.
The bluefish have been feeding heavily around the drop offs along the river. Between the schools of jacks and bluefish, the baitfish are always looking behind them to see what is about to crash them next. Any shiny lure will get their attention and provide some good rod bending action for all ages. Robert and Tyler were out with me on a rain filled morning and Tyler boated a large flounder on the flats. It made a challenging day much brighter! The surf has been tough to fish with all the easterly winds lately. Once it calms down, look for an assortment of fish to be chasing bait along the beaches.
I guess we can expect more rainy days ahead, so plan your trip accordingly and be prepared. Seek out the cleaner water for your best opportunities fishing and get involved our area to clean up the rivers and waterways for generations to come! I have kids and grandkids that I want to enjoy the fishing and beaches in our area in their futures!
Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby……it’s an ADVENTURE!
Good Fishing,
Captain Charlie Conner
www.fishtalescharter.com
captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com
772-284-3852
